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Orlanth, Master of Storms, Wielder of Death, Bringer of Light, is the King of a tumultuous pantheon of gods, whose demeanors range from that of the pacifistic Chalana to the brutal Bemurok. Their mythology is filled with violent, reckless deeds and honorable, heroic actions.
Orlanth, the God of Storm, challenged Ehilm, the Sun Emperor, for rulership of the gods. He killed Ehilm, and plunged the world into the Lesser Darkness.
The Greater Darkness began when chaos entered the world. Many gods died in the ensuing struggles, including Genert, the god of the land. Bemurok the Storm Bull led the defenders and managed to defeat the Devil.
Orlanth saw the terror and hunger his actions had caused, and his sense of responsibility prevailed. He and his companions set out on the Lightbringer's Quest to rescue the dead sun from Hell. After facing many trials, they succeeded, and Ehilm returned to the sky in the first dawn.
The seven gods who participated in the Lightbringer's Quest are now known as the Lightbringers. Five (Orlanth, Chalana, Lankoring, Issaries, and Eurmal) are worshiped. The other two were Flesh Man, who was driven mad, and Ginnajar, who remains an enigma.
East Ralians typically join Orlanth or Ralia when they are initiated as adults, and often join another cult.
The summaries that follow are unique to East Ralios. Practices differ elsewhere.
Note: Cults are described using the PenDragon Pass rules. Some information comes from Gods of Glorantha and King of Sartar.
He is shown as a burly warrior with a bull's head, or as a gigantic ox.
Worshipers: Warriors, berserks.
Skills: Animal Lore, Awareness, Hunting, Religion (Bemurok), Ritual, Sense Chaos, Weapon.
Duties: Seeking and killing chaos.
Virtues: Proud, Arbitrary, Indulgent, Suspicious, Valorous.
Cult Magic: Detect Enemies, Dispel Magic, Fanaticism, Heal, Protection, Strength.
Storm Khans (Rune Lords): 18 in Weapon, know Heal, and 18 in four of Awareness, Hunting, Riding, Sense Chaos, Weapon.
Divine Magic: all common, Berserk, Command Sylph, Enchant Iron, Face Chaos, Impede Chaos, Summon Sylph.
Associated Cults: Chalana (Cure Chaos Wound), Orlanth (Shield), Valind (Cloudcall), Zorak Zoran (Fear).
She is usually rendered as a tall lithe woman, gentle and serene, dressed in a white gown. Her arms are open in a gesture of friendship and her hands are flexed into gestures for blessing or healing spells.
Worshipers: Healers, doctors, herbalists, midwives.
Requirements: Accept cult vows.
Skills: First Aid, Chirurgery, Plant Lore, Religion (Chalana), Ritual, Singing.
Duties: Healing, caring for the sick, comforting those in distress.
Virtues: Forgiving, Generous, Merciful, Modest, Trusting.
Cult Magic: Befuddle, Dullblade, Endurance, Heal, Light, Shimmer, Sleep.
Forbidden Spells: Bladesharp, Bludgeon, Control <species>, Demoralize, Disruption, Fanaticism, Firearrow, Fireblade, Ironhand, Multimissile, Speedart.
Healer: 18 in one cult skill, 10 in two others and Religion or Ritual, and must know Heal.
Divine Magic: all common, Absorption, Comfort Song, Command Healing Spirit, Cure Chaos Wound, Heal Body, Regrow Limb, Restore <any>, Restore Vision, Resurrect, Summon Healing Spirit.
Associated Cults: Bemurok, Eninta, Issaries (Create Neutral Ground), Lankoring (Analyze Magic), Orlanth (Shield), Voria (Invigorate).
Miscellaneous: Initiates must swear an oath of non-violence, eat no meat, and cannot study weapon skills or use spells that harm others, including Warding.
Initiates and priests may become shamans.
They are considered inviolate, and never attacked.
Worshipers: Fishers, traders, newtlings.
Skills: Bargaining, Boating, Religion (Doskior), Ritual, Stewardship, Swimming, World Lore.
Duties: Trading, preventing floods.
Virtues: Forgiving, Generous, Just, Prudent, Valorous.
Cult Magic: Extinguish, Glue, Mobility, River Eye.
Priests: 18 in Swimming or Boating, and 10 in four other cult skills.
Divine Magic: Breathe Air/Water, Command Undine, Divination, Excommunicate, Find Enemy, Flood, Initiation, River Watch, Sanctify, Soul Sight, Spellteaching, Summon Naiad, Summon Undine, Worship Doskior.
Associated Cults: Pastoma (Irrigate).
Worshipers: Warriors, guards, housecarls, horsemasters.
Skills: Animal Lore, Awareness, Bow or Javelin, Religion (Elmal), Riding, Ritual, Spear or Craisech, Stewardship.
Duties: Warfare, guarding steads, raising horses, blessing crops.
Virtues: Energetic, Honest, Pious, Trusting, Valorous.
Cult Magic: Coordination, Detect Enemies, Farsee, Firearrow, Fireblade, Ignite, Light, Lightwall, Protection, Repair.
Divine Magic: all common, Bless Crops, Brighteye, Cloud Clear, Enchant Gold, Enchant Iron, Reflection, Sunbright.
Suncarls (Rune Lords): 18 in Awareness, Bow or Javelin, Spear or Craisech, and two of Battle, Stealth, Stewardship.
Associated Cults: Hippoi (Bless Horses), Orlanth (Shield).
Miscellaneous: Initiates start a Loyalty (thane) passion. The cult maintains a rivalry with the Sun Dome Temple.
Eurmal includes Trickster aspects Dismembered, Firebringer; Fool; Fright; Imp; Shapechanger; Thief.
Eurmal is usually shown provocatively dressed and impishly grinning. He holds a leather bag of tricks while he making an obscene gesture with the other hand.
Worshipers: Tricksters, fools, puppeteers, clowns, thieves, rogues.
Skills: Compose, Oratory, Religion (Eurmal), Ritual, Sleight, Stealth.
Duties: Joking, lying, fooling others, playing pranks, confusing others.
Virtues: Lustful, Lazy, Deceitful, Selfish, Indulgent.
Cult Magic: Befuddle, Glamour, Hotfoot.
Divine Magic: Charisma, Clever Tongue, Conceal, Illusions, Initiation, Reflection, Sanctify, Worship Eurmal.
Associated Cults: Issaries (Eloquence), Lankoring (Analyze Magic), Orlanth (Wind Words).
Miscellaneous: Tricksters are universally despised and considered outcasts. No laws apply to or protect them. Trickster magic is aberrant -- initiates are acolytes, but temples teach only one spell.
Smiths portray him as a burly red man with hammer, bellows, and other appropriate tools.
Worshipers: Smiths.
Skills: Awareness, Devise, Industry, Mineral Lore, Religion (Gustbran), Ritual.
Duties: Forging tools and weapons.
Virtues: Energetic, Generous, Honest, Proud, Trusting.
Cult Magic: Bludgeon, Endurance, Extinguish, Heat Metal, Ignite, Repair.
Divine Magic: all common, Enchant Bronze, Enchant Iron, Enhance Gustbran, Find Bronze.
Miscellaneous: Shrines are very rare.
Heler is usually pictured as a handsome blue-skinned man, accompanied by or calling clouds. He is never armed, to show that his blue skin is not woad (worn only by warriors).
His image is that of an ornate sword, sometimes made from exotic materials, or as a burly man bearing a sword and wearing black armor, usually with limed hair.
Worshipers: Warriors, mercenaries, bodyguards, adventurers.
Requirements: Succeed in Sword and POW rolls.
Skills: Awareness, Battle, First Aid, Religion (Humath), Ritual, Orate, Riding, Sense Assassin, Sword, Dagger.
Duties: Soldier, bodyguard, teaching combat skills, destroying undead.
Virtues: Energetic, Honest, Proud, Temperate, Valorous
Cult Magic: Bladesharp, Coordination, Demoralize, Detect Enemies, Detect Undead, Disrupt, Fireblade, Heal, Parry, Protection, Repair, Strength, Vigor.
Forbidden Spells: Dullblade.
Swords (Rune Lords): 18 in Sword, and four of: any other sword, any other weapon, Awareness, Battle, Conceal, First Aid, Orate, Riding, or Sense Assassin. 5 in Religion and Ritual.
Divine Magic: all common, Berserk, Create Ghost, Detect Truth, Enchant Iron, Morale, Oath, Sever Spirit, Shield, Stop Resurrection*, Truesword, Turn Undead
Associated Cults: Orlanth (Thunderbolt).
Miscellaneous: Initiates and Swords may never be brought back from the dead by any means.
They must accept gifts and geases.
The Maklaman subcult worships a hero whose name is synonymous with the virtue of Loyalty. He provides the spell Stop Resurrection. Humathi in this subcult may not accept healing from a member of any cult that teaches a resurrection-type spell (such as Chalana).
Humathi bind their allied spirits into raven familiars.
She is portrayed as a tall white goddess in a billowing white cloak, crowned with a castle.
He is rendered as a youth, holding the hazel twig of a herald.
Worshipers: Messengers, heralds, explorers, travelers.
Skills: Bargaining, Compose, Memorize, Recognize, Religion (Issaries), Ritual, Speak (Own), Speak (Tradetalk), Speak (language)
Duties: Conveying messages, acting as herald, telling stories and poems, reciting genealogies, teaching languages.
Virtues: Energetic, Honest, Proud, Suspicious, Worldly.
Priests: 18 in Bargaining, Compose, or Speak, and 10 in four cult skills.
Cult Magic: Glamour, Glue, Mindspeech, Mobility.
Divine Magic: all common, Create Moot, Eloquence, Fluency, Path Watch, Retell, Spell Trading.
Associated Cults: Chalana (Regrow Limb), Eurmal (Clever Tongue), Lankoring (Analyze Magic), Orlanth (Flight).
He is shown as a gust of wind, often with a puffy-cheeked blowing face and powerful arms.
He is portrayed as a bearded man dressed in the grey robes of a lawspeaker, and wearing the Arm Ring of Knowledge.
Worshipers: Sages, lawspeakers, seers.
Requirements: 18 in a cult skill.
Skills: any Lore, Courtesy, Custom (Orlanthi), Mathematics, Memorize, Oratory, Recognize, Religion (Lankoring), Ritual.
Duties: Resolving lawsuits, remembering agreements, determining geases, teaching.
Virtues: Honest, Just, Proud, Suspicious, Pious.
Cult Magic: Detect <any>, Farsee, Mindspeech.
Priests: 18 in two Lores and Custom, and 10 in Religion or Ritual.
Divine Magic: all common, Analyze Magic, Clairvoyance, Knowledge, Mind-Read, Reconstruction, Truespeak.
Associated Cults: Chalana (Restore CON), Eurmal (Clever Tongue),
Issaries (Create Moot), Orlanth (Wind Words).
She is usually shown as a firepot used to store embers, or a woman holding the same.
She is usually shown as a headless body with a single huge maw in its belly, two stout legs, and many arms sprouting from about her torso, with which to snatch victims.
Mastakos is shown as a blue-skinned man driving a chariot.
Worshipers: Messengers, drivers, dancers, travelers.
Requirements: Test is based on DEX roll and 4 skills.
Skills: Dance, Drive Chariot, Memorize, Recognize, Religion (Mastakos), Ritual
Duties: Travel, bearing messages, driving chariots.
Virtues: Energetic, Generous, Honest, Trusting, Valorous.
Cult Magic: Coordination, Mobility.
Divine Magic: Guided Teleport, Initiation, Sanctify, Teleport, Worship Mastakos.
Associated Cults: Orlanth (Flight, Lightning).
Miscellaneous: Mastakos is almost always worshiped through Orlanth.
He is usually shown as a young man dressed in skins and carrying a bow.
Worshipers: Hunters, trappers.
Skills: Animal Lore, Awareness, Hunting, Religion (Odall), Ritual, Missile.
Duties: Hunting, blessing the departed souls of game.
Virtues: Energetic, Generous, Merciful, Proud, Valorous.
Cult Magic: Disrupt, Mobility, Peaceful Cut, Slow, Speedart.
Master Hunters (Priests): Win the annual Great Hunt.
Divine Magic: Command Cult Spirit, Command <game>, Divination, Draw Beast, Excommunication, Heal Wound, Initiation, Sanctify, Sureshot, Soul Sight, Summon Cult Spirit, Spellteaching, Worship Odall.
Associated Cults: Yinkin
Miscellaneous: Initiates may never kill an alynx except in self-defense.
He is usually shown as a vigorous man, armed with the thunderbolt and other warrior's weapons, and wearing a thane's torc and arm rings.
Worshipers: Adventurers, warriors, herders, farmers, leaders, lawspeakers, poets, thieves
Skills: Compose, Orate, Religion (Orlanth), Ritual, Speak (Stormspeech), Speak (own), Weapon, World Lore
Duties: Leadership, defending worshipers, fighting chaos
Virtues: Energetic, Generous, Just, Proud, Valorous.
Cult Magic: Bladesharp, Demoralize, Glamour, Heal, Mindspeech, Mobility, Protection, Strength.
Storm Voice (Priest): 18 in two of Awareness, Stealth, Oratory, Speak (Stormspeech), Weapon, and 10 in three of Compose, Religion, Ritual, and World Lore.
Storm Voice Divine Magic: all common, Bless Thunderstone, Cloudcall, Cloudclear, Command Sylph, Decrease Wind, Enchant Silver, Increase Wind, Summon Sylph, Thunderbolt, Wind Warp
Wind Lords: 18 in Sword and four of Awareness, Battle, Oratory, Riding, Speak (Stormspeech), Stealth, Weapon.
Wind Lord Divine Magic: Bless Woad, Command Sylph, Dark Walk*, Enchant Iron, Flight, Great Parry*, Lightning*, Mist Cloud*, Sanctify, Shield, Summon Sylph, Wind Run*, Wind Words, Worship Orlanth.
Associated Cults: Chalana (Restore CON),
Eurmal (Charisma), Heler (Rain),
Humath (Truesword, Oath),
Issaries (Path Watch), Lankoring (Truespeak),
Mastakos (Guided Teleport, Teleport),
Ralia (Restore STR),
Bemurok (Face Chaos),
Yinkin (Identify Scent).
Miscellaneous: Many subcults exist, including Orlanth Rex,
worshiped by rulers and poets; Orlanth Thunderous, worshiped by herders and
farmers; Orlanth Lightbringer, worshiped by questers; Orlanth Adventurous,
worshiped by adventurers and thieves; the weapon subcults (Lightning Spear,
Shield of Arran, Scarf of Mist, and Sandals of Darkness), and
Vinga the Adventuress, worshiped by female adventurers
(who cut their hair and wash it with lime).
Temples often have a shrine to Drogarsi, deity of war
dances and bagpipe music.
She is usually depicted as a wise, smiling matron, with a basket overflowing with fruits, cheeses, and meat hanging from one hand, and holding a torc in the other. She wears a horned wheat-ear crown.
Worshipers: Herders, farmers, healers, homemakers, women.
Skills: Animal Lore, Mineral Lore, Plant Lore, Religion (Ralia), Ritual, Stewardship.
Duties: Providing food and shelter, healing, delivering animals, blessing the herds, blessing crops, conveying sovereignty.
Virtues: Lustful, Forgiving, Generous, Merciful, Prudent.
Cult Magic: Endurance, Farsee, Heal, Second Sight, Shimmer, Strength, Vigor, Visibility.
Divine Magic: all common, Bless Cow, Bless Crops, Command Gnome, Command Cattle, Enchant Copper, Earthpower, Heal Body, Regrow Limb, Restore CON, Restore STR, Speak with Cows, Summon Gnome.
Associated Cults: Ernalda (Command Pig, Command Snake), Maran Gor (Blast Earth), Orlanth (Cloudcall), Bemurok (Impede Chaos),
Voria (Invigorate).
Miscellaneous: There are three major subcults: Bo-Ralia the Cow Mother, Ga-Ralia the Wheat Mother, and Er-Ralia the Land-Wife.
Priests must be women who have given birth to a healthy child.
She is shown as a beautiful woman.
He is shown as a giant, with a frozen beard and dripping with ice.
Vinga is portrayed as a young woman armed as a warrior, with short, spiky hair.
His image is either that of the animal, or of a human with an alynx's head.
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